December shorts
by pwmo
Summary: [Rate changed from M to T] Collection of short One Shots inspired by tumblr user madameazzure's prompt list for Noblesse December Event.
1. Chapter 1

**1\. Glass**

«Wow Boss, you look so skilled!» Tao stares in awe as Frankenstein blows air into a blowpipe, resulting in the formation of a bubble large as one of his fists.

«You saw me do this before, Tao, no need to get so excited every time.» He answers, letting the bubble cool down before starting to work it into shape.

Frankenstein had been alive for more than two thousands years so it's no surprise he knows his stuff when it comes to crafting, but his level of skill is something praiseworthy. As the perfectionist he his, Frankenstein probably spent a lot of time trying to master handicraft to obtain what he wanted the way he wanted it. His dedication is admirable, and maybe maybe - Tao is a bit jealous of it.

«Still, to think you are this good even after all those years you didn't practice...»

«Who didn't practice?» Frankenstein gives the last touches to the elegant cup he just created, leaving it to cool down and harden.

«Didn't you buy glassware from shops when it started becoming popular?»

«I never did.»

«Then what about the things we have here?» Tao looks puzzled, Frankenstein's vague answers leaving him more confused than before. He can't mean... Can he?

«Wait, did you make them? ALL of them?»

«Where did you think they came out from?» Frankenstein gives an exasperated sigh.

«IKEA?»

Frankenstein narrows his eyes to Tao's words, looking almost disgusted. «Please, I did _not_ spend two centuries in the Roman Empire mastering glassblowing to end up buying cheap crap from stores.»

* * *

Notes:

I still can't believe I posted it. Really. I'd love to tell you someone possessed me and made me do this (because sure as hell I would never do it on my right mind) but _I_ did it so yeah, my fault.

I was really motivated to write something because this is such a good fandom filled with kind people, so I guess I just wanted to contribute with something mine. Here it is.

IKEA I swear I love you, really. No hard feelings.

I thank you for the time you'll spend reading this instead of doing something else. Notice that English isn't my first language so 99% there's going to be some mistakes **PLEASE** point them out because I need to learn how to write prose. Thanks. ｡◕‿◕｡

pwmo


	2. Chapter 2

**2\. Argument**

«Excuse me?! Who do you think you are to dare giving orders to a Noble like me?» Rael snaps again, hissing through his teeth and ready to bare Grandia against the three enhanced humans who _dared_ to remind him it's his turn to wash the dishes. Rael didn't take it well.

«We already explained you, it's not us who make the rules here, it's Boss, and Boss says it's your turn today.» Takeo is calmly trying to set aside the matter and convince Rael to give up and just do what he's told. When he and his two friends talked about how to approach the young Noble, both of them elected Takeo as the speaker for two reasons: one, he is mild tempered and there was a lower chance he'd strangle the kid and two, he was the only one among the three of them who had the chance to be taken seriously. As expected it's not an easy job getting Rael to cooperate, but Takeo persists. It just isn't right: Rael is living there as much as they do but not once has he helped out with housework, it's irritating. Even more considering he was enjoying the comforts provided by the same persons he badmouthed on a daily basis.

«Come on Rael,» starts M-21, sighing heavily and taking the situation straight on, «it's just dishes. Helping out it's not going to kill you.»

«Don't you dare talk to me with such insolence!» Rael grimaces, then leans to catch M-21 by his collar; in no time, Takeo and Tao have their weapons out, ready to defend their friend.

«What's going on in my kitchen?»

A shiver creeps down everybody's spine, the murderous aura now slithering at their feet and hovering in the air. It feels like gravity has just increased, pressuring their bodies unnaturally and making it hard to breathe.

Frankenstein is smiling, but it's nowhere near reassuring.

«Rael doesn't want to do his part.» M-21 shrugs Rael's hand away and straightens his shirt as if nothing ever happened. Frankenstein glances around, notices nothing is damaged and looks back to them. The smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a solemn look.

«Rael, Master entrusted you this task. Are you refusing the Noblesse's trust?»

It's astounding to see how quickly Rael has his sleeves rolled to his elbow, ready to accomplish his mission, once Cadis Etrama di Raizel is mentioned.

Then again, Frankenstein knows what is the best way to and all arguments: who, in their right mind, would want to displease the Noblesse?

* * *

GET IN THAT KITCHEN RAEL!

Kertia boy doing his assignment at the speed of light because _the Noblesse trusts he'll do a good job_ so omg gotta go fast yes bye

Good job Frankenstein, you sure know your sons well.

Thanks for the attention!

pwmo


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing** : holy OTP Rai/Frankenstein

* * *

 **3\. Rabbit**

" _And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone." - Madeline Miller_

" _Rabbits die of loneliness, you know!" "Hide, you know that's just a myth, and besides... You're no rabbit." - Tokyo Ghoul chapter 6_

When he comes back Raizel is sitting on the armchair in the living room, giving his back to the entrance where Frankenstein stands, removing his shoes and setting them aside. Raizel doesn't react to the sound of him closing the door and pacing on the wooden floor.

«I'm home.» Announcing himself with a clear voice, Frankenstein walks up to where his Master sits, ready to hear about his day.

«Did you have fun with the children today?» He patiently waits for an answer that doesn't come. Raizel clearly has something on his mind because he didn't even return the greeting, keeping his eyes glued to the his feet. An incredibly weird behavior coming from him, and who would know better than his butler?

«Yuna was sad because her rabbit died.»

Frankenstein saddens. «I see, what a tragedy.»

«She said it happened because it was lonely. Do rabbits die because when they are alone?»

Frankenstein recollects his knowledge on that matter before giving him a proper explanation.

«Some do. It's likely to happen to those who had bonds with their companions.»

«Bonds...» Raizel's warm eyes narrow, and he looks the saddest Frankenstein has ever seen.

«Yes, if two rabbits have always stayed together and one of them dies, the other does it as well. It happens to some birds, too; it's a reaction that occurs in many animal species.»

It's a sad fact, but Frankenstein wants Raizel to understand that nature is a deep world of its own, with many complex mechanisms and events going on.

«Why do they die? Loneliness isn't harmful; life is precious and must be preserved, so why?»

That's something Frankenstein will have to think hard about before he's able to explain it properly.

«You used to live alone before we met, right?»

«Yes.»

«If I were to disappear now, how would loneliness feel? Would it feel the same way as it did before?»

Raizel closes his eyes. He's back in Lukedonia, but there's no tea ready for him, nor cookies freshly baked. No one is happily humming in the garden while watering the flowers, and no one fills his knowledge with their wondrous travels and adventures. It's how it used to be before and it's suffocating. Frankenstein watches as Raizel's expression turns grim.

«I understand now.» The Noblesse finally raises his eyes to meet Frankenstein's, heartbroken.

«It could never go back to how it was. I would end up-» he stops with a long sigh, eyebrows furrowed in a pained expression.

«...just like Yuna's rabbit.»

* * *

Yes, I quoted Tokyo Ghoul. Our Lord and Savior Ishida Sui sure gave some good lines to his characters (*whispers* miss u Hide) and I could not ignore that.

Note about that: it's not rentirely a myth, though you can't say it's totally correct either since not all rabbits react like that to losses; the ones who do die because they stop eating and drinking and it's _sad.  
_

So take this angsty thing here, because angst is good.

Thanks for the attention.

pwmo


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing:** Rai/Frankenstein

* * *

 **4\. Cherry + Silk**

All starts when Tao finds Raizel curiously looking to a weird shaped golden cylinder in his hands. The Noblesse is still unaccustomed to modern things, so spotting him being enraptured by modernity's littlest things isn't unusual; however, something tells Tao that this time he mustinvestigate at any cost.

«I don't want to have anything to do with it.» M-21 brushes him off, leaving the room so he can escape his crazy ideas.

«You guys just don't know how to have fun!» He pouts, before turning to face Raizel, who's sitting on his bed waiting for instructions. Tao grins mischievously.

«Let's give Boss a surprise.»

* * *

Frankenstein draws a long sigh before reclining his head back, shoulders stiff from being forced to do paperwork all day. If he knew it would be this tiring, back then he wouldn't have chosen to open a school and become the Chairman.

And right when he's starting to relax, the feeling he gets when something is _dangerously off_ near him creeps on his back, into his mind, until he can no longer ignore it. It comes – he'd love to say unexpectedly, but it's not the case – from Tao's room, and there he storms, knowing he's deemed to catch him doing mischief. Nothing prepared him for the sight that awaited, and when he opens the door his face displays all the rainbow's color before turning pale, and he breaks in a cold sweat.

«M-Master?»

Raizel bats his eyelashes a few times, apparently surprised by the intrusion. He's standing by the window, wrapped in a long white robe that gives him an angelic appearance. What catches Frankenstein's attention the most is, however, the cherry-red lipstick covering his lips, neatly put on by rather skilled hands; the fact that it resembles blood and Raizel is an actual vampire gives him a new, dark and sexy appeal. Beautiful.

The Noblesse takes a few steps toward him, his dress – Frankenstein just noticed it's a woman's dress but _god help him_ , it looks like it was made for him – fluttering left and right following the movement of his hips, and stops when they're but a few inches apart. Lips parted in a overall seducing manner and droopy eyelids, Raizel peers at Frankenstein, who's frozen on spot, spellbound by his bewitching looks.

«How do I look?» he asks, and the blond man could swear he purred.

Blue eyes fall again on those perfect red lips, sucked in by the contrast between Raizel's porcelain skin and the lipstick that turned him from innocent lamb to lustful sin. Now he knows how Eve felt when the snake presented her the forbidden fruit.

Frankenstein is perfectly aware of how hard it is to get rid of lipstick smudges on the white fabric of his shirt; nonetheless, he plans to get it completely dirty.

* * *

I HAVE NOT just finished reading Rouge *hides comic under the bed*

When I read the prompt "Cherry" I immediately thought "lipstick", and who could wear it better than our pretty Noblesse? No one, that's right. (For those who wonder: the lipstick I'm referring to is Diorific by Dior)

In regards of "silk", I imagined the white robe he wears being made of said material (even though I didn't write it, oh well)

But what could Frankenstein possibly mean with that? *smirk smirk*

...God I'm so BEHIND WITH THIS FANFICS, I just have, like two other chapters ready. Sigh.

This pairing will be the end of me and it's not even canon, how am I supposed to go on?

Cold April + guest763428, thanks for the kind reviews! I hope you'll keep enjoying this! :)

pwmo


	5. Chapter 5

Rules to play the game called "pretend":

Start with pretending you decided to stay out of pity. Pretend you don't care about them never leaving home, pretend you're doing housework because you have nothing to do and don't want to bore yourself to death; pretend you don't like when at the end of the day, they show you their gratitude.

Pretend you're still staying because it's a good chance to learn something about your enemies.

Phase 2 is a bit more difficult, but you manage to reach it and have a good chance to succeed.

Pretend you don't notice the long glances they give you, the way their eyes linger on your figure when they think you're not aware of it. Pretend you don't notice the way they blush when your fingers casually touch, and do it again when you feel your face heating up.

Even better, pretend you have no feelings from the start. Pretend you're an unsociable heartless monster to keep them at distance, and pretend you're fine with that. Also, pretend to not notice they know it's a facade.

Pretend you don't like when they call your name with that delicate, melodious voice of theirs by showing no reaction whatsoever. Pretend you're happy when others come to visit, interrupting your time together.

Pretend you don't sense the ill intent, and tell yourself you do it because it's none of your business and not because they would suffer.

Reach phase 3. Feel things getting harder.

Pretend that the crazy fast heartbeat you get when you think about them it's only your imagination; then, pretend you don't notice how they opened up to you, clearly more comfortable, seeking some kind of closeness you can't allow yourself to require. Tell yourself it's not a justification. Pretend it doesn't hurt.

Pretend you're not in love. Pretend you're there for duty; pretend to be asleep when they walk into your room at night, worried by your nightmares and intruding into your space to give you solace and rest, gifting you dreamless nights and getting rid of the screaming voices in your head; then pretend you don't know they have realize it's just an act.

Pretend you never once felt their fingertips brushing away the hair from your forehead, or that you never noticed the tiny kisses they leave on the top of your head before leaving you alone to your sleep. Pretend you're not craving more. Pretend you don't wish to call them by their name. Pretend you don't know they wish you'd do that either.

Climb the stairs to glory.

Approach phase 4 pretending you're not broken to pieces when they disappear without leaving traces. Pretend you can still go on searching with your cool and scientific approach, because you've kept your feelings at bay long enough to know you can do it. Then pretend to be sure of it.

Pretend you didn't spend two hundreds years searching in every nook and cranny of the world, putting your life in danger in the worst slumps, dealing with criminals, being beaten up for money or else.

Pretend you never wished to die. Pretend you didn't kill yourself because you still value your life when it's only because you knew they were still alive. Pretend you never thought about giving up. Pretend you didn't get mad when the others told you they stopped searching. Pretend you never wrote thousands of letters – one every day – just to be sure you were still sane.

Do all of this. Sacrifice your happiness for a thousand years or more. Lock your heart away, let it rot in your chest. Enjoy your climb to the top, so close to winning—

–only to lose in a miserable way when they come back to you eight hundred and twenty years later, telling you they love you (and always did), and you answer saying you love them too.

* * *

I don't know why this time it didn't let me put the title, but it's "Pretend" (unexpectedly, right? Not that I wrote it, like, a hundred times)

I'm sorry if the repetition of the world makes you cringe, but using a similar word would have ruined everything T-T

A little bit more of angst, because I honestly enjoy suffering. I'm quite satisfied of this one, strangely. Also, note that Frankenstein never knew about the plans of the six traitors clan leaders - he only had a hunch (in the mahwa he openly admits that they're suspicious, but nothing more) so I just, kinda, played around with that.

This is the last one, because I had no inspiration even though the prompts were cool. I'm glad I could give a little contribution to this fandom, since there are many capable writers/artist who I personally adore and seeing my work under theirs makes me feel a bit proud. Go check other wonderful Noblesse works if you can, it's worth your time.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did while writing it. Thanks for the reviews and the views!

pwmo

p.s. don't let the fandom die, I need MORE


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